Student organizations planning diversity-orientated events can get an extra boost from Iowa State’s Multicultural Task Force. The task force, which is made up of ISU students, is currently allocating money for events this semester.

“I can help people make their ideas become a reality through the funding that the Multicultural Task Force provides,” said Shalon Ford, freshman in apparel merchandising, design and production. Ford is a committee task force member.

Formed in 1996, the Multicultural Task Force started fresh this January after taking a semester off to reorganize. It has about $20,000 to allocate this semester.

Vernon Wall, one of three advisers for the task force, said organizers are looking for student-initiated projects that encourage interaction between different groups. The events should be focused toward the whole student body, he said.

“It is a structured way to address the multicultural issues on campus,” Wall said.

The organization itself is not the determining factor when the task force allocates money, he said.

“[The task force] is focused on the event, not the organization,” Wall said. Each event must meet certain criteria to receive funding.

However, the Multicultural Task Force does not provide full financing for events. “We would like to see funds from another source,” Wall said.

The advisers help prepare the proposals that organizations present to the committee, he said.

“Students make all the decisions in terms of funding,” Wall said.

Aside from delegating capital received from the Office of the Provost and the vice president for Student Affairs, the task force works to promote cultural awareness and the collaboration of different campus groups.

Ford said the group works “to encourage the students of Iowa State to come up with ideas on how students of all ethnic backgrounds can work to do positive things on campus.”

“We want to get the word out,” said Savanchay Hacknorath, freshman in pre-business and task force member. “We want to see everyone attend.”

Organizations seeking financial support for an event may pick up an application at the Student Activities Center, located in Room B6 of the Memorial Union. There is no deadline for the application, but money is allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Meetings for the Multicultural Task Force are held at 5:15 p.m. every Monday and are open to the public. For weekly location information, contact the Student Activities Center.